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Author Notes:I found the recipe for these lemon sponge cups in my Aunt Mariah's old-fashioned recipe box (an actual box), when I was visiting with her in my hometown, Galax, Virginia, to learn how to make her exquisite, feathery rolls. The rolls took lots of practice. The lemon sponge cups, though, were a breeze; also, they make you feel fancy, like a lady. You pour the batter into individual souffle dishes or ramekins, and when they come out of the oven they have cute puffy-brown tops, with a layer of lemon custard on the bottom. Without whipped cream, they are perfectly light and sour-sweet; but a spoonful of whipped cream is always nice for company. - ENunn
—ENunn

Food52 Review: We're so glad ENunn unearthed her Aunt Mariah's version of this classic lemon pudding cake -- its evocative name, mellowed lemon pucker and bare sweetness thoroughly won us over. In one fell swoop, you get two desserts: a delicate, airy cake that rises to the top and browns handsomely, and a lush lemony custard that pools at the bottom, waiting for your spoon. - A&M —The Editors

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Serves 4-6

2
tablespoons butter

1
cup sugar

4
tablespoons flour

1
lemon, grated rind and juice

1 1/2
cups milk

3
eggs, separated

1
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream butter. Add sugar, flour salt, lemon juice and rind. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in milk. Slowly add second mixture to first mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff; gently fold into mixture. Pour into ramekins or individual souffle dishes and place in pan of hot water. Bake in "moderate" oven (350, in my case) for 45 minutes. You will have a layer of lemon custard, with gorgeous, lightly browned sponge on top. Let cool a bit. Turn out and serve with whipped cream, or serve still in the dish. You can also bake this in one large souffle dish. Aunt Mariah likes to garnish with a thin slice of lemon.

My grandmother lived in Hillsville, right near Galax, and my uncle recently moved to Galax. Loved my grandmothers country style home cooking -- I'm sure making these for my dad would evoke memories of his childhood and mean a lot, as she passed a few years ago. I don't usually comment but I wanted to thank you for sharing!

Okay what did I do wrong? Beautifully browned on top but remained a soup underneath- despite baking for 60 minutes. I made in a 1 1/2 qt casserole dish and used up one of my duck eggs in place of one of the chicken eggs....any ideas? So bummed. Went into the trash.

Not sure I understand "1 lemon, grated rind and juice". Does this mean you use the white rind in addition to the zest? I thought you have to carefully grate the zest off of the rind to avoid a bitter taste. Anyone? Thank you.

Due to its custard-like texture (in the bottom of the ramekin), how will I know when it's done? I would imagine doneness may be gauged by checking the sponge (or top portion) with a toothpick. Is this correct? I very much look forward to making this!

I made these tonight and served them with caramel oranges with cardamom on the side http://food52.com/recipes...OMG! These are like lemon custard topped with lemon cheesecake! Made them exactly as directed and they came out absolutely perfect. I ended up with 7 servings.They come out of the cup pretty easily too, so I was able to plate it with a oranges. Spectacular! It's midnight. The dishes are done. I'm going to get another one!

These are beyond fantastic! I used 1/2 pint wide mouth canning jars to bake them.... then you can put the lids on after they are cool to transport. Was a complete hit! I always use at least double lemon.......

Nearly identical to a recipe from a (Betty Crocker?) Cookbook for Two someone gave me for a shower gift over 45 years ago, before we all knew how to cook. I lost the book a long time ago but have kept on baking this because it's so reliably good. It's delicious with any citrus (or a combination of citrus) rind and can handle addition of fresh blueberries, raspberries or rhubarb tossed with sugar if made in one large pan. Try it with buttermilk for a more interesting flavor.

I have a question about the last step on the recipe "Aunt Mariah's Lemon Sponge Cups" from ENunn. It says:
Let cool a bit. Turn out and serve with whipped cream, or serve still in the dish. You can also bake this in one large souffle dish. Aunt Mariah likes to garnish with a thin slice of lemon."
I just made these. Amazing. Really fantastic. But I was making them as an experiment, before I tried with guests. And now I have 5 more that I can't eat myself. I mean... probably not all today. So... how well do they keep? And do you have any tips? If I want to bring one to a friend in 4 hours do I need to refrigerate it between now and then?
THANKS!

I have a question about "Aunt Mariah's Lemon Sponge Cups" from ENunn.
How much of the mixture should I pour in each ramekin? I am relatively unfamiliar with making souffle style dishes and I'd like some guidance on this point - should I fill them half-way up? 3/4 of the way up? Thanks!

oven (350, in my case) for 45 minutes. You will have a layer of lemon custard, with gorgeous, lightly browned sponge on top. Let cool a bit. Turn out and serve with whipped cream, or serve still in the dish. You can also bake this in one large souffle dish. Aunt Mariah likes to garnish with a thin slice of lemon.
"

How many / what size ramekins would I need for this? I just bought a set of four 4 oz ramekins and I suspect I'll need additional dishes. Or, would it work to use a regular round casserole dish?
Thanks!